


When An Accidental Plan Comes Together

by EllenMarieP



Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [15]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: M/M, Sex in the Library, everyone is pickled, servants ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28152600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenMarieP/pseuds/EllenMarieP
Summary: Part 15 of the Christmas prompt challenge.Mulled wine – “Did you spike the mulled wine?” “Maybe…why?” “Because I spiked it too and now everyone’s sloshed.”Thomas has a lovely evening at the servants' ball.
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent
Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030419
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30
Collections: A Very Thomas Barrow Christmas 2020





	When An Accidental Plan Comes Together

**When An Accidental Plan Comes Together**

December 28th was always an odd day for the staff at Downton Abbey, Christmas was in the past and for one night only the world went topsy turvy as the servants came upstairs. The servant’s ball, their very own Christmas party, allowed them the illusion of mixing with their employers as equals, never mind the fact that they were expected to thank the family for the privilege and the dances with _them_ had more rules and traditions than an English courtroom.

Thomas wasn’t ungrateful as such, he loved to dance and the servants' ball offered him his only opportunity to do it openly, he’d just feel more appreciative if the family didn’t make it feel like such an inconvenience. It was also mildly irritating to spend the day around giddy maids acting like they were Cinderella and grouchy butlers giving lectures about propriety and the honour of the family. It was hardly surprising that Thomas felt the need to…relax things a little. The problem was, it looked like he wasn’t the only one to have the idea and he had a suspicion he knew who which was why he was slowly making his way towards Jimmy across the main hall. The sights he saw as he moved were…interesting to say the least.

Mr Moseley was…doing ballet? Lady Mary and Mr Mathew’s dancing was starting to border on obscene, Dr Clarkson was flirting rather shamelessly with Mrs Crawley, the Dowager was flat out sleeping and Lady Edith was crying in a corner. Lord and Lady Grantham had disappeared entirely so Thomas decided not to think about that too much.

Once he reached Jimmy, Thomas decided there was no need for discretion, after all, who was there and sober enough to notice?

“Did you spike the mulled wine?”

“Maybe…why?”

“Because I spiked it too and now everyone’s sloshed.”

“Hmm…and what do you propose we do about it, Mr Barrow.”

“Well, the library is deserted and has some very comfy furniture, so I propose we make the most of the situation. Would be nice not to wake up with carpet burn in the morning don’t you think?”

“You know I have always wanted someone to take me up against a bookshelf…”

“James Kent I do believe I’ve corrupted you.”

“And I’ve loved every minute of it Thomas, I truly have. Shall we?”

It was a wonder nothing was ever said about the fallen books, misplaced cushions and toppled ornaments after that night, but Thomas supposed, with everyone being a little…fuzzy the next morning, no one could really be sure that it wasn’t them. He did love it when a plan accidentally came together.


End file.
